Pre-Bracket Polls

03/07/2023 Pre-Bracket Polls

By: Jeff Yoder

UCLA Makes Big Move in Men’s Final Pre-Bracket Poll; Virginia Tech Vaults Up Women’s Standings

Got your dancing shoes ready? The women’s conference tournaments may have solidified the AP Poll with only the Big 12 tournament yet to play after UConn beat Villanova in the Big East finale last night. But the men’s poll is still fluid. Losses and near-misses at the top saw UCLA and Alabama switch spots in this week’s top-five. The Bruins haven’t lost since January, and they look poised to make a deep Pac-12 tourney run and lock up a 1-seed alongside Houston. The other power conference leaders in men’s hoops — Kansas (Big 12), Alabama (SEC), Purdue (Big Ten), and Marquette (Big East) — are teetering between the 1- and 2-lines this week as conference tourneys begin tonight. Here’s where they stand in the final AP Polls before Selection Sunday.

 

Men’s AP Top-10

1. Houston (29-2) | —

2. UCLA (27-4) | ↑2

3. Kansas (25-6) | —

4. Alabama (26-5) | ↓2

5. Purdue (26-5) | —

6. Marquette (25-6) | —

7. Texas (23-8) | ↑2

8. Arizona (25-6) | —

9. Gonzaga (26-5) | ↑1

10. Baylor (22-9) | ↓3

Full AP Top-25

 

Women’s AP Top-10

1. South Carolina (32-0) | —

2. Iowa (26-6) | ↑5

3. Indiana (27-3) | ↓1

4. Virginia Tech (27-4) | ↑4

5. Stanford (28-5) | ↑1

6. Maryland (25-6) | ↓1

7. UConn (28-5) | ↑2

8. Utah (25-4) |  ↓5

9. LSU (28-2) | ↓5

10. Villanova (28-5) | ↑1

Full AP Top-25

 

Big East Final: #7 UConn def. #10 Villanova (67-56)

The Huskies won their 19th Big East Championship behind 19 points and 15 boards from Aaliyah Edwards.

 

Additional Storylines

B/R: Men’s NCAA Tournament: Stock Watch for Bubble Teams

NCAA: South Carolina Leads A Red-Hot Virginia Tech in Final WCBB Rankings

 

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Photo: Tim Nwachukwu / Getty Images